Edamame and homemade walnut butter combine to create a delicious spread for bread or crackers. See how you can customize it to suit your taste and texture preferences!

Preparation

To make the walnut butter, place walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and grind them until they become sticky or paste-like. Add the salt, then add the oil a little bit at a time until the walnut butter binds together. If desired, add a small amount of honey and/or cinnamon, to taste.  

To make the hummus, blanch the edamame in boiling water until tender but still green, about 1½–2 minutes. Once cool, place the edamame, cayenne, garlic, 3 tablespoons walnut butter, and lemon zest in a food processor. Pulse to chop the edamame. Slowly add the water and continue to puree for 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth. Press through a mesh strainer with a rubber spatula and season to taste with salt.

Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with olive oil and walnut pieces.

When making walnut butter, you can choose raw, toasted, or soaked walnuts to create different flavors and textures in the final product:

Raw Walnuts: Use raw walnuts for a very creamy and smooth texture that tastes like a just-shelled walnut.

Toasted Walnuts: To enhance the sweet, nutty flavor of the walnuts, toast them before making them into butter. Walnut butter with toasted walnuts will provide a coarse-textured finished product. Toast walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.

Soaked Walnuts: This method will remove some of the tannin from the walnut skin and create a more textured walnut butter. Soak walnuts overnight, drain, and discard the water. Toast walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for up to 15 minutes to dry them out (make sure not to let them get dark). Cool the walnuts before making them into butter.